Leg press only ?

[solrosenberg]

I neglect my legs big time. I am probably known as an "upper body builder". I have a bad back and can't do squats and all I have is a leg press machine. Is it possible to get "respectable" legs by only doing leg presses ? I know they will never catch the rest of me , and I am fine with that. I only want respectibility. yes or no ?

 

[smtimelevi]

I have a friend that never does squats cuz of his knees but still has decent legs.
There are all kinds of things you can do on the leg press. One leggers, heavy partials, wide stance, high stance.
What about lunges.

 

[solrosenberg]

I have a friend that never does squats cuz of his knees but still has decent legs.
There are all kinds of things you can do on the leg press. One leggers, heavy partials, wide stance, high stance.
What about lunges.

I have never tried lunges. I also have a leg curl / leg extension, but my Doc said no leg curls due to the strain on my lower back. I have spondylolithesis and a couple degenerative discs. I can pretty much anything except deadlifts, bent over rows, squats, hack squats and leg curls. I may just hit the leg presses and leg extensions hard and see what happens. I am an expierenced "upper body builder", and feel it's time to hit the legs.

 

[Lee]

it is very possible to get respectable legs without squats. if you arent looking for massive bb'er legs that is.

 

[b fold the truth]

I have a bad back and can't do squats and all I have is a leg press machine.

From Charles Poliquin:

If you can walk into my office, you can squat in the gym.

 

[Tatyana]

I have never tried lunges. I also have a leg curl / leg extension, but my Doc said no leg curls due to the strain on my lower back. I have spondylolithesis and a couple degenerative discs. I can pretty much anything except deadlifts, bent over rows, squats, hack squats and leg curls. I may just hit the leg presses and leg extensions hard and see what happens. I am an expierenced "upper body builder", and feel it's time to hit the legs.

What sort of doctor are you seeing? An orthopaedic surgeon?

I would recommend getting seen by a specialist in the skeleton and musculature.

Doctors have to learn so much about the human body, it is often difficult for them to specialise in areas such as exercise mechanics etc.

I find leg press puts a lot of stress on my lower back, so I do find it an odd thing for your doctor to say, whereas leg curls, none.

Also you do not necessarily have to go really heavy either, higher volume training is often effective for legs.

 

[nikkita]

there are lots of machines that help you target your leg from all angles for not relying only on leg presses

 

[u418936]

I have a bad back and can't do squats and all I have is a leg press machine.

To get a decent ROM on a leg press, you have to bring your knees to your chest, which will make your lower back flex. Squatting with good form is far safer for your lower back than leg pressing is.

 

[flex229]

i've built some nice legs with the help of heavy leg presses and sissy squats.

 

[safety4lyfe]

my $0.02...put the big boy pants on and start doing squats. not cutting you down, probably not what you want to hear, but you need to probably see a professional(s) that will help get you to the squat rack. leg press is not good for your knees nor lower back.

try lunges or squats holding dumbies. when in my endurance phase, i love doing squats w/ dumbies

 

[flex229]

if the man can't do squats, he can't do squats.

 

[b fold the truth]

if the man can't do squats, he can't do squats.

Yeah...if your mind won't let you...it just won't let you.

I can't do tricep kickbacks.

 

[SofaGeorge]

Yeah...if your mind won't let you...it just won't let you.

I can't do tricep kickbacks.

Please give me one dollar for every person I've had tell me that they can't do squats.

If you can't squat... you can't walk into the room.

After I was in a car accident... my doctor told me I couldn't squat. It was the first exercise I did when I got in the gym.

Even if you can't do the weight of the bar... squat.

 

[safety4lyfe]

Please give me one dollar for every person I've had tell me that they can't do squats.

If you can't squat... you can't walk into the room.

After I was in a car accident... my doctor told me I couldn't squat. It was the first exercise I did when I got in the gym.

Even if you can't do the weight of the bar... squat.

yup! i would be rich as well...

 

[SofaGeorge]

yup! i would be rich as well...

I watched a jujitsu teacher give his kids a lecture about a year ago. He has been teaching since 1974... and he said he has literally seen thousands of people in the last 35 years who when he tries to teach them a throw, roll, or fall... they will at length explain to him how they have this injury or that abnormality that prevents them from being able to do it. He said, "We don't care. Everybody can learn and get better... and we are here to help everybody progress at their own rate. Nobody can't do it. Some people just can't get to the point they can do it well as fast as others."

I've been training leg day with an awesome powerlifter for the last 6 months. The guy had his knee destroyed and back injured about a year ago. When we train legs... he is squatting the 45 lbs bar only... but he is doing his squats religously.

 

[OMEGA]

would say actually that leg presses are the superior leg builder

try to find one that loads both qauds and hams evenly by the way its built

 

[tropo]

Please give me one dollar for every person I've had tell me that they can't do squats.

If you can't squat... you can't walk into the room.

After I was in a car accident... my doctor told me I couldn't squat. It was the first exercise I did when I got in the gym.

Even if you can't do the weight of the bar... squat.

When you squat with the weight of the bar only you're still squating with quite a bit of (body) weight.

I'll agree with you that many people who say they can't squat could, but among them there are still people who really shouldn't squat.

There's no doubt that although squating can be a great exercise if done in good form, it's probably responsible for more back and knee injuries in the gym than all other exercise put together.

 

[b fold the truth]

Please give me one dollar for every person I've had tell me that they can't do squats.

If you can't squat... you can't walk into the room.

After I was in a car accident... my doctor told me I couldn't squat. It was the first exercise I did when I got in the gym.

Even if you can't do the weight of the bar... squat.

10 days after I tore my hamstring (black from my butt to my toes) I was outside trying to do box squats. I got stuck sitting on the box for about 5 minutes. My partner was offering to spot me...but I worked till I got up, tears running down my face and working as hard as I could. I did a lot of other leg stuff while rehabbing it...but I always squatted...even if it was on a high box with only my bodyweight.

Been doing light weight and high rep front squats...and they are killing me...but my legs are growing and I recently pulled a raw 731!

 

[b fold the truth]

it's probably responsible for more back and knee injuries in the gym than all other exercise put together.

And guns people...not the people handing guns incorrectly.

 

[SouthernLord]

would say actually that leg presses are the superior leg builder

try to find one that loads both qauds and hams evenly by the way its built

I will actually agree to this....kinda. I think the leg press is superior for those with long limbs. I have squatted and squatted and squatted and I have never got a whole lot of growth out of them. No matter how I adjust my stance or how low I go squats only increase the size of my posterior. My quads did not start to grow until I started leg pressing weekly. Btw I have got three white lights at over 2 1/2 times body weight in single ply gear and can triple double my body weight raw so you can't say I haven't given the squat a fair shake(I know this dosen't really matter). To the OP, i would leg press and make sure your low back stays on the pad. You do not have to bring your knees to your chest to get a good workout on the leg press. Doing that is the reason people claim they get low back problems from LPing.

 

[deathdroprob]

I done Leg press Insted of Squats last week. Good Idea. Good Handle ALOT more weight and pushed out the reps wih out having to worry about falling over (I am shit at Heavy Low rep squats).
I think they are godd as they ioslate the legs much more, as you can go heavy and not woory about doi9ng the accidental good morning. Ouch

 

[deathdroprob]

I done Leg press Insted of Squats last week. Good Idea. could Handle ALOT more weight and pushed out the reps wih out having to worry about falling over (I am shit at Heavy Low rep squats).
I think they are godd as they ioslate the legs much more, as you can go heavy and not woory about doi9ng the accidental good morning. Ouch

 

[GUARDIAN]

front squats baby!

 

[ALIN]

I neglect my legs big time. I am probably known as an "upper body builder". I have a bad back and can't do squats and all I have is a leg press machine. Is it possible to get "respectable" legs by only doing leg presses ? I know they will never catch the rest of me , and I am fine with that. I only want respectibility. yes or no ?

If thats all you have to work with,,,use it. your legs will look much better.

 

[b fold the truth]

front squats baby!

I've been doing high rep front squats for a bit now and my legs (especially quads) are growing like crazy. Deadlift is going up as well!

Why do people always assume that if you Squat...it must be HEAVY and for LOW REPS?

 

[tropo]

I done Leg press Insted of Squats last week. Good Idea. Good Handle ALOT more weight and pushed out the reps wih out having to worry about falling over (I am shit at Heavy Low rep squats).
I think they are godd as they ioslate the legs much more, as you can go heavy and not woory about doi9ng the accidental good morning. Ouch

The amount of weight you put on a leg press is totally irrelevent. "Going heavy" means nothing in and of itself, what counts is going to muscle failure.

I think a lot of guys feel strong with leg presses because they can load so many plates on it. If you do the math you'll find you're not really pushing all that much - Take away your bodyweight for starters because you don't push that as in the squat, and then factor lower resistance due to a 45 degree push angle.

You'll certainly get more exercise loading up the machine though.

 

[GUARDIAN]

I love them. Have u tried drop sets with them yet? If not u gotta!

I've been doing high rep front squats for a bit now and my legs (especially quads) are growing like crazy. Deadlift is going up as well!

Why do people always assume that if you Squat...it must be HEAVY and for LOW REPS?

 

[deathdroprob]

I love them. Have u tried drop sets with them yet? If not u gotta!

as If anyone would listen to you 8and20, You have skinny chicken legs.

 

[Nick_Escalantes]

you don't want to go too heavy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otqbG5CbZ7E

 

[u418936]

I've been doing high rep front squats for a bit now and my legs (especially quads) are growing like crazy. Deadlift is going up as well!

How are you able to maintain your form when you do high rep front squats? My form goes to shit and I get really wobbly at around 8 reps. For me, the hard part is keeping my back arched and not leaning forward when I get tired.

 

[b fold the truth]

I love them. Have u tried drop sets with them yet? If not u gotta!

Haven't tried drop sets yet...sounds fun for Sunday!!!

 

[b fold the truth]

How are you able to maintain your form when you do high rep front squats? My form goes to shit and I get really wobbly at around 8 reps. For me, the hard part is keeping my back arched and not leaning forward when I get tired.

Form has to be tight...I got 225 x 20 last Sunday. Will try to post the vid soon.

 

[silver_shadow]

sorry if you've posted it already, but what exactly is wrong with your back?

 

[The Race The Hunt]

I have never tried lunges. I also have a leg curl / leg extension, but my Doc said no leg curls due to the strain on my lower back. I have spondylolithesis and a couple degenerative discs. I can pretty much anything except deadlifts, bent over rows, squats, hack squats and leg curls. I may just hit the leg presses and leg extensions hard and see what happens. I am an expierenced "upper body builder", and feel it's time to hit the legs.

It's all about what feels right (and what doesn't feel right) for you. I have back issues as well (had surgery for extruding discs) and haven't been able to squat yet. Leg presses also put some pressure on my lower back, but I can handle it up to a certain point (like 350lbs). Walking lunges with a barbell on my shoulders do wonders for the legs and don't bother the back in the least. Leg extensions don't bother me either. Laying and seated hamstring curls are okay as well. Most calf raise type movements are fine, although if you're using a barbell or similar machine watch out for the amount of stress the weights can put on your shoulders, thus impacting the spine.